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Department of Architecture

The Judson architecture program represents the Church at work in higher education and aspires to be a global leader in architectural education and Christian service. Founded in 1997, and accredited in 2004, the program is widely acknowledged for its innovative approach to architectural education including a one year preceptorship (internship) and its context of an evangelical Christian institution. Environmental stewardship is a design philosophy which guides the program and its approach to architecture education.

The program consists of a 136-hour bachelor of arts degree in architecture (B.A.A.S.) and a 42-hour master degree in architecture (M.Arch.). We refer to the professional program as a “hybrid 4+2″ in that it is similar to a conventional state-school 4+2 format, but contains an expanded traditional undergraduate degree (including periodic summer sessions), includes a year of preceptorship as the first year of the M.Arch. experience, and concludes with a three term calendar year (summer, fall, spring) for graduate coursework. Students earn a competitive 178 university credits, but this program shapes the boundaries differently to maximize learning potential and leverage the power of the experience of both academic-learning and practice-learning.

The School is housed in the Harm A. Weber Academic Center, a state of the art LEED Gold building designed by international architect and Cambridge University professor C. Alan Short. Students complete their architecture education within one of the greenest buildings to study architecture in the United States. Graduates of this program are making a difference in international ministry organizations like Missionary TECH teams, Engineering Ministries International (eMi), and others, while also working in some of the most significant offices in the country including Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, Gensler, Skidmore Owings Merrill, and Urban Design Associates, to name a few.

Distinctives

A Christian Context

Judson's Christian university context is unique among professional architecture programs and other Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) schools.

Individualized Attention

The program has a good student-to-faculty ratio, 16:1, in a relatively small program of 200 students.

Close to Chicago

Judson University is located just minutes from Chicago, a center for quintessentially American architecture and urbanism.

Experienced Professors

100% of Faculty hold terminal degrees or advanced doctorates.

Sustainability & Environment

Students complete their architecture education within one of the most environmentally self-sustaining academic buildings in the country, the Harm A. Weber Academic Center.

Accredited M. Arch Degree

Judson's Master of Architecture degree program is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB).

Unique Curricular Structure

Designed to be completed in five years, Judson's architecture programs utilize a creative and compressed scheduling compared to conventional state school's 4 year BA/BS plus 2 year Master of Architecture format. Students complete a full year of practice-based work experience between the two degree programs for a completely unique hybridization of architecture education and practice.

Architecture Licensure Exam Pass Rate

Careers

Students with BA degrees in architecture are prepared to enter conventional architecture practice and a wide range of other design related practices. The vast majority of our BA graduates take part in the 1-year internship and then return for the 3-term M.Arch. degree program. The M.Arch. degree is the NAAB accredited professional degree. The M.Arch. degree positions a graduate to eventually earn their state license to practice architecture independently. Many states require a certain percentage of partners in partnership offices to hold a license. The license is a significant personal and professional milestone and we take the educational preparation for license very seriously at Judson.